


The Amalia Balash School of Business

by allonsyalice



Category: She Loves Me
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2016-07-14
Packaged: 2018-07-24 00:16:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7485861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allonsyalice/pseuds/allonsyalice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before he approaches Maraczek, Arpad Laszlo decides to get help from the best clerk in the store. Georg is there too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Amalia Balash School of Business

**Author's Note:**

> idk what i'm doing anymore sorry (my tumblr url is anjschuyler)

Arpad Laszlo was willing to admit that he needed just a little help. Which is how he, and Miss Balash and Mr. Nowack, ending up staying late. Arpad had approached Miss Balash with the idea a couple of weeks ago, and she had warmed up to the idea almost instantly.

"You see, I remember how you sold that lady the musical cigarette box," Arpad had said. He figured that a little bit of flattery never hurt. Amalia's bright smile emerged at the memory.

"Arpad, you are in luck," she declared, "The Amalia Balash School of Business is now open...for business."

Arpad never noticed how quickly Amalia talked until now. He liked being in Maraczek's after hours, where the entire store seemed just a little eerie. The store took a different feel at night. In the day, it was filled with customers, but Arpad preferred it when it was quieter. Emptier.

"You'll be a clerk in no time, Arpad," Amalia was saying, "the key is to listen to your customers."

"Oh, you're not going to listen to her, are you, Arpad," Georg was seated on the landing, watching the proceedings with a small, amused smile. He was just supposed to keep an eye on the store, but he couldn't pass an opportunity to tease Amalia. Arpad thought back to what Sipos had told him, that they loved each other, but they would never believe it. Over the past few months, this theory was becoming more and more evident.

"Who has sold the most of those boxes to this day," Amalia said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That's not the only mark of a good salesman," Georg countered, getting up from his seat and walking down the stairs, "in fact, that shouldn't be a mark of a good salesman at all."

"They were unsellable and I sold them," Amalia countered. Arpad had to hide a smile. Their fighting had gotten past the point of being annoying and had become rather charming.

"By telling a lie," Georg said.

"By making up a backstory. A convincing backstory," Amalia insisted. Then she turned to Arpad.

"It's about listening," Amalia repeated, "You know everything in the store and they don't know what they want. So just listen to what they want and then translate it into a product. I'm glad you've joined us, Mr. Nowack. You get to be a customer."

"Oh, no," Georg said, "if we're doing this, then you're the customer."

"We are in the Amalia Balash School of Business, where I, Amalia Balash, am the teacher. Be the customer," Amalia said, her jaw set. Arpad looked between the two, not sure wether to intervene. Arpad knew Amalia to be very stubborn, and once she had her mind made up, no one would be able to change it.

"Fine," Georg said, "we are in the A-Malia Balash School of Business."

"Right, Arpad," Amalia said, "now Mr. Nowack will come in pretending to be a customer, and watch how I handle him."

Georg pretended to walk in the door, thoroughly .

"Hello sir, isn't it a lovely day? How may I help you this morning," Amalia said, approaching him with a dazzling smile and outstretching her arms, "here at Maraczek's, everything is possible."

"Arpad, you don't need to say exactly that," Georg said. 

"I actually rather liked that," Arpad said, "it seemed friendly." Amalia's smile turned to smug. Georg rolled his eyes, albeit good-naturedly. Arpad knew he knew she was right. 

"And friendly is exactly what you want to be, very good," Amalia said, "the key even when they are being very rude, is to be nice. So nice they'll feel very guilty. Continue."

"I'm looking for a face cream for my wife. She's very specific about the brand she uses," Georg said in a monotone, reluctantly getting into the exercise.

"Your wife is very lucky," Amalia said, her voice chiming in the empty store, "I will show you our range of face creams, if you would follow me." Arpad stepped back to let them pass him. He watched as Georg's eyes lingered on Amalia, even as she turned away from him. Amalia took a place behind the counter. Arpad placed himself at the side of the counter, leaning his elbows onto the glass.

"Do you have a bigger size," Georg was asking. A smile, a genuine one, touched Amalia's lips. She pulled a tube from the shelf and handed it to him, letting it drop as his fingers touched hers. Arpad narrowed his eyes. Amalia's cheeks turned pink and she inhaled. He saw Georg's eyes widen slightly. Luckily, the cream hadn't made a mess on the counter. A second of silence passed, like they were both trying to process what happened, and then they both sprang back into action.

"That was my fault," Georg said quickly, "I'm sorry."

"Don't do that," Amalia said quickly, turning back to the shelves behind her, "don't drop the product. Do show them the wide range of products that would go with what they've chosen. And say something about how it's attractive to the eye, attractive to the nose and functional. Something like that always works."

"Can I go now," Georg asked.

"I suppose you can," Amalia said, replacing the products she had taken down, "Arpad, you can practice with me." Georg took his leave and Arpad watched Amalia watch him walk away, the same small smile on her lips.

Once Georg was out of earshot, Arpad turned to Amalia.

"Miss Balash, can I ask you something. Of a, uh, a personal nature," Arpad asked. Amalia leaned onto the counter slightly.

"Of course," Amalia said.

"How do you feel about Mr. Nowack," Arpad asked. It felt weird, and Amalia raised her eyebrows, surprised at his question. Then a tell tale smile spread on her face.

"Arpad, I can tell you exactly how I feel about Mr. Nowack," Amalia said, "I do not hate him. I do not hate him at all."

As if that was going to tell him anything. 

 


End file.
